With the explosion of digital marketing channels over the last decade, now is an ideal time to reestablish your web presence as a viable marketing tool.
You may have learned the ins and outs of SEO, paid search, and social media marketing, which are all essential to running a successful digital marketing campaign. However, there is another, often understated, channel you need to focus on: vector marketing.
What is vector marketing?
Simply put, vector marketing is the use of digital tools and platforms to distribute and measure marketing messages and campaigns across the web.
Why should you care about vector marketing?
Well, for one thing, SEO and paid search are not the only channels you need to consider; social media is also a vital part of the mix. But beyond that, having a web-friendly strategy that incorporates all of these elements is now crucial for any business to thrive in today’s digital world.
The Importance of Websites
With almost every business reliant on the web for some part of their daily operations, it is essential that your website is up to date and running smoothly. From an online store to get your marketing material to drive traffic and conversions to a simple informational website for consumers to discover your brand, the role of a website in your marketing mix cannot be overseen.
Even if you have the best marketing strategy and the most effective campaigns, you will struggle to drive traffic and conversions to your site if the experience is bad or the site is not user-friendly. Designing a quality website that seamlessly integrates with social media and drives organic traffic to your product or service is now a crucial part of any strategy.
The Importance of Mobile
With 78% of all American adults now accessing the internet on their smartphones, it is safe to assume that mobile usage will continue to rise.
According to Cisco, worldwide mobile internet traffic will reach nearly 27.8 billion USD in 2021.
From browsing social media to getting directions to finding a restaurant, the role of mobile in our daily lives makes it essential that you have a functional and user-friendly mobile site.
When consumers have a positive mobile shopping experience, they are 8x more likely to make a purchase on their phones compared to when the experience is bad. In other words, your online store’s mobile experience directly affects your sales.
The Role of Email
According to HubSpot Blogs research, users open their email apps on their phones 80% of the time, and when they do, they spend 12.5 minutes per email on their phones—almost as long as they spend reading an email on a computer.
If you want to have a successful email marketing program, you need to focus on designing a user-friendly email template that seamlessly integrates with your website, social media, and phone apps. Using a tool like Hootsuite, you can easily create cross-platform marketing campaigns that reach your audience whenever they are on the web or mobile.
Why Should You Use Video Platforms?
It’s the platform of choice when it comes to digital marketing. In the U.S., 41% of adults use video platforms to learn about brands, products, and services, according to HubSpot. Additionally, 50% of consumers want to learn more about brands through video content.
With video, you can reach more people, and you can do so more affordably. In 2020 alone, video platforms like YouTube and Facebook spent a combined $12 billion on content and algorithmically curated videos.
“YouTube is the third-largest search engine, so it comes as no surprise that people are turning to the site to find information,” says HubSpot. “‘Video content is one of the most effective ways to engage with users,’ which comes as no surprise considering people spend more time on video platforms than any other type of online content.”
With video platforms, you can take your pick of the dozens of video software packages to create professional-looking videos quickly and affordably. Plus, many video platforms offer the ability to record and send short videos—known as ‘mini-Vlogs’—to potential customers to gain their trust and encourage them to check out your product or service.
The Importance of Blogging
Blogs are important for a digital marketing strategy because they allow you to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. Even if you have a strong sales pitch, you cannot expect potential customers to take you seriously if you do not have a platform to deliver it on.
If you can become an authoritative voice in your industry, you will gain credibility and be able to drive more traffic and conversions to your business. Blogs are also a great way to create valuable content that you can use across multiple platforms.
The Role of Podcasts
Podcasts are like blogs on steroids, giving you the ability to engage with prospective customers on a more personal level. In fact, according to HubSpot Blogs research, users spend more time per podcast episode than they do per blog post, averaging five hours and 49 minutes per episode.
Podcasts are like blogs in that they allow you to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. Additionally, you can use them to deliver valuable content to your audience that you can use across multiple platforms.
Choosing the right podcast for your industry can be a daunting task, especially since there are hundreds of different ones to choose from. Consider looking into the podcast’s listening base to determine which one would be the best fit for your brand. If you decide on a trial and error method, you will end up somewhere in the middle.
The Role of Live Video
Live video is an important tool for any business, especially a digital marketing one. Not only does live video give you the opportunity to engage with prospective customers in real time, but it can also be used to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. Additionally, you can use it to deliver valuable content to your audience that you can use across multiple platforms.
The Importance of Landing Pages
Finally, we arrive at the most important tool in any marketing plan: the landing page.
A landing page is like a mini-version of your website, and it serves a crucial purpose in the digital marketing world. Once you have built your website, you will discover that most of your traffic is driven to specific pages. While some of this traffic may come from search engines, the majority of it comes from people who have landed on your site because they have heard about you or your company through social media or organic search.
A landing page is a single‐page website that serves as a home base for your business, providing important information about your company and encouraging people to learn more about you. Additionally, you can use a tool like Hootsuite to gain a clear view of your web traffic and where they come from. A/B testing different versions of your website’s landing page is an inexpensive and easy way to find the page that converts best into a sale.
Which One Should You Try First?
Now, you may be wondering which one of these digital marketing tactics to implement first.
Well, in a perfect world, you would start with SEO. If you want to grow your business online, you will certainly need to learn the basics of SEO first.
Next, you should move toward building a community on social media. Having a strong presence on social media can help you gain credibility and build trust with potential customers. Additionally, having a presence on social media can help you gain valuable insights into what is happening in the marketplace and in your industry.
Last, you should consider implementing some form of video marketing. For many businesses, the role of video in marketing is becoming more prominent each day, so it is not a huge surprise that almost half of all consumers now seek advice and guides via video content.
Now, you might be thinking that implementing all of these tactics at once is a tall order, and you would be right. However, you do not need to rush to put all of these tactics into practice. Take your time and implement only those that make sense for your business.